poultry processing

TRUSSING

Cut across the vent

Carcase cut around the vent

Carcase cut around the vent

Hand pulling viscera

Empty carcase and viscera

Viscera

Slitting gizzard; heart and liver

Trussing: First steps

Trussing: Pull string tight and cross at back

Trussing: Tie off at Parson's nose

Trussed bird with giblets

Portioning of Poultry

Half the chicken by cutting under the breast under the breast bone

Divide the legs and thighs from the breast

Quarter the legs and thighs

Drumsticks

Drumsticks include the lower portion of the leg quarter (the portion between the knee joint and the hock).

Thighs and drumsticks

Cut the drumsticks from the thigh through the joint

Chicken thigh and drumstick

Split the breast down the middle, cutting through the breastbone

HalvesThe bird is split from front to back through the backbone and keel to produce 2 halves

of approximately equal weight.

Breast quartersHalves may be further cut into which include the wing. A breast quarter, including portions of the back, is all white meat.

Split Breast

A breast quarter with the wing removed.

Cut the wings from the breast through the main joint

Whole Chicken WingThe Whole Chicken Wing is an all white meat portion

composed of three sections; the drumette, mid-section and tip.

Chicken breast, thigh, leg and wing portions

8-Piece CutThe whole bird is cut into 2 breast halves with ribs and back portion, 2 wings, 2 thighs with back portion and 2 drumsticks. The parts may be packaged together and labelled as whole cut-up chicken. These are usually sold without giblets.

gibletsIncludes heart, liver

and neck.